This society was formed in 1990. It has over 300 members from 40 different countries. The society promotes the research and display of revenue stamps and their associated documents also publishing a quarterly journal [The Revenue Journal]. Encouraging members to exhibit their collections at regular meetings in England as well as at National and International Philatelic Exhibitions. We also have an extensive library

We work to achieve our aims in several ways:

Publication of The Revenue Journal, a high quality quarterly magazine which has carried articles relating to revenue material from well over 200 different issuing authorities. Articles range from introductory notes about individual countries to detailed scholarly studies of particular issues, and cover subjects as diverse as the history of stamps as a way to collect government funds to the history of revenue philately or unusual printing techniques. The Journal regularly contains updates to standard catalogues and reviews of specialist books and magazines. It was awarded a Vermeil at the FIP International in Málaga (España 06). We have also published an introductory booklet called Collecting and Displaying Revenue Stamps aimed primarily at postage stamp collectors seeking a new collecting interest. We will continue to support the publication of books/articles relating to Revenue stamps and their uses.

Meetings, which are held roughly quarterly, usually in London, but also in regional centres during important local exhibitions or stamp fairs. Some meetings are dedicated to selections from just one or two outstanding collections; others are combined displays by many members, so that we are able to see material from up to about twenty countries each year at every level of specialisation.

Displays to local or specialised societies and articles in the general or specialised philatelic press, both of which allow our members to 'fly the flag' for revenue collecting, and allow collectors of postal material to see new opportunities.

A regular annual auction of members material which generally has over 400 lots of all types of material, ranging from that elusive single item to general collection from a specific area/country.

Access to a library of reference books, which now contains well over 100 items.

Promoting the display of revenues in competitions at all basic levels; several of our members are regular exhibitors at Stampex and in International Exhibitions, and have made significant contributions to the acceptance of revenue stamps by FIP and National Federations.

About half of our members reside overseas in 40 different countries and gain considerable benefit from correspondence with fellow collectors with shared interests, 'met' through the Society.

Revenue collecting is the fastest growing area of philately join us now and get in on the ground floor.

What others have said and are saying

From an article by member Peter Mansfield in the British Philatelic Bulletin, the monthly philatelic journal of Royal Mail (the British Post Office), in February 2006:

In the nineteenth century, collectors regarded Revenues, or “Fiscals and Judicials”, as being on a par with Postage; I have heard that Stanley Gibbons included them in his early catalogues, and there was a flourishing Fiscal Philatelic Society. But for some unknown reason they fell out of favour during the 1920s, and disappeared off the collector’s map. This is a pity, because Revenues (in particular the earlier Victorians) are too beautiful, and too important historically, to languish in obscurity. What most collectors nowadays don’t know is that in their early days, postage stamps were regarded as the impoverished baby siblings of Revenues. . . . . . . One of the greatest challenges is to overcome the prejudice against all Revenues that has become so prevalent throughout the philatelic world. Why this should have come about, nobody seems to know. But until their recent “resurrection” by the FIP, Revenues were relegated to a back-of-the-book or “cinderella” status, which they still possess for many collectors. Then, in the half-century between about 1925, when the Fiscal Philatelic Society faded away, and the mid-seventies, when Robson Lowe began his series of Revenue auctions, there is a Black Hole. Modern catalogues for this period are all in some degree unreliable. So for the academically-inclined there are boundless opportunities for research and discovering unlisted items. But I would encourage all collectors in search of “something new” to join in.

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Revenue stamps are defined as stamps, whether impressed, adhesive or otherwise, issued by or on behalf of International, National or Local Governments, their Licensees or Agents, and indicate that a tax, duty or fee has been paid or prepaid or that permission has been granted.